1990 record 9–2 (7–1 MAC) Defensive coordinator Dean Pees (1st year) | Head coach Nick Saban (1st year) | |
Conference Mid-American Conference Home stadium Glass Bowl
(Capacity: 26,248) | ||
The 1990 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Rockets were led by first-year head coach Nick Saban, and competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They finished the season with a record of nine wins and two losses (9–2, 7–1 in MAC play) and as MAC co–champions with Central Michigan.
Contents
The 1990 Rockets squad opened the season with six consecutive victories over Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ball State, Ohio, Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green. At the time of the matchup, their meeting against Central Michigan served as a de facto MAC conference championship game. Although Toledo lost 13–12, victories over Kent State and Western Michigan coupled with a Central Michigan loss to Ball State gave the Rockets a share of the MAC championship. Toledo then concluded the season with a loss to Navy and a victory over Arkansas State.
In February 1991, Nick Saban resigned as head coach of the Rockets after only one season to become defensive coordinator of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns.
Before the season
Toledo finished their 1989 season with a record of six wins and five losses (6–5, 6–2 in MAC play) and tied for second place in the final conference standings. Although the Rockets finished the season with a winning record, on November 22, 1989, head coach Dan Simrell was fired by Toledo athletic director Al Bohl. By mid-December, the finalists were narrowed to Pete Cordelli (then the quarterback coach at Notre Dame) and Nick Saban (then the secondary coach for the Houston Oilers). On December 22, 1989, Bohl announced the Saban had been hired to replace Simrell as head coach at Toledo. The position was Saban's first as a head coach.
Saban resignation
Nick Saban resigned as Toledo's head coach on February 13, 1991, after one season to become defensive coordinator of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns under Bill Belichick. As defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, Belichick had to postpone assembling his new coaching staff until after Super Bowl XXV. Therefore, Saban's resignation wasn't announced until well after the season had ended. Additionally, Saban wanted any potential move to occur after February 6, National Signing Day for recruits.